Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 6 vs. Warriors

Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) and guard Leandro Barbosa (19) during the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Golden State Warriors players react from the bench during the final seconds of game six of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavaliers won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Cavs Limit Production of Warriors’ Role Players

Despite the talent level of this historically great Warriors squad, I’ve always been of the opinion that they can be beaten if the opponent can limit the contributions of the role players.

In other words, maybe Curry and Thompson both go off for 40 points apiece, but if you don’t allow the role players to get involved, you still have a good chance at beating them.

In Game 6, Curry and Thompson combined for 55 points on 41 shot attempts. That is pretty solid production for the Warriors’ backcourt.

The rest of the starting five — Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes — contributed a total of 11 rebounds and just 13 points on 5-for-20 shooting, including a woeful 1-for-10 from three-point range. To put this stat into proper perspective, Tristan Thompson had more points and rebounds than this trio combined.

Sure, Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to score 14 points on an efficient 4-for-6 from the field, but he was the only other player to score in double figures.

Simply put, even when one of the greatest backcourt duos in NBA history plays well, it is simply not enough when you successfully keep the rest of the players in check, something the Cavs were able to do in this contest.

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